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Cowon teases keychain-esque iAudio E2 DAP
Typically, it's iriver who does the teasing, but you won't catch us griping about Cowon pulling a similar trick with its elusive new iAudio E2. The image above is all we have to go on for the moment, which shows a digital audio player that's capable of doubling as both a USB storage device (maybe) and a keyring (definitely). Make of those funky icons what you will, but as we learned with Lost, you're probably just wasting your time reading betwixt the lines.[Via DAP Review]
Cowon S9 pales in white
It's hard to beat the chrome and titanium black versions of the Cowon S9 players in terms of aesthetic design. And black is always the best choice to frame its high-contrasting, 3.3-inch AMOLED if you're the type who likes to see the display fade into the device during particularly dark video sequences. Still, choice is good, and white DAPs are trending (again) so why not ceramic white? It's not like the S9's viewable display actually stretches end-to-end like you might assume. [Via Pocketables]
Cowon S9 gets pulled apart, put back together again
It was bound to happen sooner or later -- this poor Cowon S9 got the vivisection treatment and the startling pics have been posted in the Anything But iPod forums. And guess what? It's choc full of tiny components, a little bit of "wax paper or something," and let's not forget that world renowned AMOLED touch screen. This endeavor hasn't been undertaken in vain, however -- the good doctor has included tons of pics and step-by-step instructions in case you ever have to conduct the operation yourself. You know, in the name of science.
Cowon's 32GB S9 PMP goes on sale in America
We knew you'd do the right thing Cowon, we just knew it. Barely a fortnight after the company introduced its most capacious S9 to date over in South Korea, said player has made its way stateside... at least that's the impression that we get. Listed now as "in stock" on Amazon, the 32GB Titanium / Black unit is shown as being sold by JetAudio, which just so happens to be Cowon's official online home for sales. If you surf over to the S9 section on JetAudio's website, however, the 16GB model is still listed as the largest one available. We're guessing the latter's admin hasn't had time to update things between that Friday night rave and that six pack of Dos Equis on Saturday, but we hear Amazon has a pretty good reputation, anyway.[Via PMP Today]
Cowon releases 32GB S9 PMP in Korea
Cowon's done a commendable job in making the S9 a force to be reckoned with in the PMP arena, but the 16GB maximum has likely caused quite a few music aficionados to look elsewhere. At long last, the company is releasing a 32GB flavor over in South Korea, though it'll cost you a stiff ₩379,000 ($287) for the privilege of ownership. There's no word on a US release, but we'd wager that it'll be here within a month or two. Right, Cowon?[Via PMPToday]
Version 2.10 beta firmware makes your Cowon S9 a new PMP
Slowly but surely, Cowon has been issuing firmware updates to make its sleek S9 PMP the music player it ought to be. According to a recent leak of the v2.10 beta, it's about to become even more formidable a rival. Reportedly, the forthcoming update -- which can be downloaded now for those kosher with all things beta -- adds in support for widgets, WMV7/8, pitch correction, full screen mode in TV-out and color tags for subtitles. As for improved functionality, we're heard that the entire navigation process has been smoothed over, particularly in the area of browser scrolling. Check the read link for a download URL as well as the full changelog, and if that lucky individual that won our S9 giveaway doesn't give this a go and report back, you all have to right to throw stones until he / she does.[Via AnythingButiPod, thanks Joseph]
Cowon D2+ PMP now shipping to the US
It just made its official debut a little over a week ago, but Cowon's new D2+ PMP is now already available to order for folks in the US, and at pricing in line with the previous D2 model, no less. That means $139.99 for the 8GB model and $179.99 for the 16GB, which are each otherwise identical, and pack a 2.5-inch QVGA touchscreen, an FM radio, line-in and TV-out ports, an SD card slot for further expansion, and support for all the usual audio and video formats. You will, of course, have to make do without that DMB TV tuner found on the Korean model, but If that non-functional omission isn't too much of a deal-breaker, you can get your order in by hitting up the read link below. [Via DAP Review, thanks Michael]
Cowon gets official with D2+ PMP
Cowon's D2 portable media player never was much of a looker, and needless to say, neither is the replacement D2+. This somewhat bulky PMP sports a bezel that's remarkably thick, though it does boast a built-in DMB TV tuner, SD / SDHC / MMC expansion slot, FM radio, USB 2.0 connectivity and BBE+ sound enhancement. There's no apparent word on pricing, but we suspect Cowon will clear that up whenever this thing pops official in the North American market. A few more pics are waiting in the read link if you're still undecided on the design.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Cowon L3 officially announced (for Asia)
We saw this one coming quite a while back, but it looks like the Cowon L3 satnav / PMP is officially official now. We stil haven't got full specs on this baby yet, but the 7-incher's got a 700x480 resolution, an unnamed dual core CPU, 128MB of SDRAM, 4GB of memory, an SD Slot, and GPS, and a fuel consumption indicator. We don't have any specific information as to availability -- though it's unlikely it'll ever get anywhere near North America -- or pricing yet, but we'll let you know as soon as we do!Update: Full specs at the read link now on Cowon's site![Via Akihabara News, thanks Jeff]
Reminder: Cowon S9 giveaway ends tomorrow!
Didn't take three seconds out of your immensely busy schedule to enter your name to win an 8GB Cowon S9 portable media player? Fret not, as we're reminding you to do so right this moment. The contest ends tomorrow night (full rules are listed in the read link), so you've only yourself to blame if you let this opportunity pass you by as well.
Engadget Giveaway: win a Cowon S9 PMP!
For no other reason than we're just in a particularly generous mood, we're giving away Cowon's latest portable media player, the S9. In case you've been absent for the past month or so, let us remind you that this thing has been unboxed, reviewed, posted in a weekly episode of How Would You Change and even updated a time or two by Cowon itself. If you're ready to take this gently used player into your own loving hands, here's what you need to do. Read the full rules below, and if you're eligible for entering, just leave a comment below with your favorite character from Sesame Street. Or really, just any comment. Good luck!The rules: Leave a comment below. Any comment will do, promise! You may only enter this specific giveaway once. If you enter this giveaway more than once you'll be automatically disqualified, etc. (Yes, we have robots that thoroughly check to ensure fairness.) If you enter more than once, only activate one comment. This is pretty self explanatory. Just be careful and you'll be fine. Contest is open to anyone in the 50 States, 18 or older! Sorry, we don't make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so be mad at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad. Winner will be chosen randomly. The winner will receive one (1) 8GB Cowon S9 portable media player. Approximate value is $199.99. Entries can be submitted until Monday, February 2nd, 11:59PM ET. Good luck! Full rules can be found here.
How would you change Cowon's S9 PMP?
Cowon's S9 portable media player had a lot of folks excited -- and understandably so. A bright, expansive AMOLED display. A sleek, curvaceous design. And a codec support list worth drooling over. During our time with the unit, we found the user interface to still be lacking in a few critical departments, though we certainly found a long list of reasons to love it, too. Now that it's been floating around on US soil for a hot minute, we're asking you how you'd tweak it. Are you completely satisfied with the UI? Are there any video formats that have inexplicably refused to play? Is the build quality up to your lofty standards? Let it rip below!
Cowon S9 review
On paper, Cowon's S9 is distinct from what most would consider its rivals. It packs a curvaceous design, nary a single front panel button, an AMOLED display and a codec support list chock full of formats that audiophiles admire. Clearly, Cowon is aiming to appeal to portable media enthusiasts who are also sticklers for sound quality, with the core functionality consisting of only the basics that one would expect on a PMP. The sector it's diving into already has a pretty strong list of alternatives on the market, which probably means that you're wondering if it really does (or doesn't) stack up. Follow us past the break as we take a closer look at what the S9 brings (and doesn't bring) to the table.
Cowon S9 firmware update adds Bluetooth speaker support
For early adopters who have already taken delivery of their shiny new Cowon S9, they've already sucked down one firmware update to fix some of the more obvious issues. Now, there's round number two (v2.06) to endure. The company has loosed the second firmware update for its just birthed PMP, with this one adding JPG album art support (for files with the .jpg extension) and fixing a bug that occasionally caused a system reboot after the "remove hardware from PC" message appeared. Most notable, however, is the new inclusion of Bluetooth speaker support, meaning that this device can now stream tunes to BT-enabled sound systems sans cabling or any other black magic. Tap the read link to get your download a-goin'.
Cowon issues first firmware update for S9 PMP
Yes, already. Before the 8GB S9 has even had a chance to become available, Cowon has already issued the first firmware update for its hot little PMP. If you're one of the earliest of adopters, you may want to give this one a download / install before flinging your device upside the wall. Just to name a few, the patch fixes bugs when changing boundary settings for music playback, when viewing particular picture files, when the upper buttons are pressed simultaneously and when connecting Bluetooth Mono headsets. Hop on past the break for the full alert, and tap the read link to access the file.
Cowon S9 PMP unboxing and hands-on
Cowon's 16GB S9 may have just started shipping out yesterday, but we just acquired one of the 8GB models a day before it's expected to hit the rest of America. We're planning on spending a little time with this critter to give you our thoughts, but for now, we figured we'd let you toy around in the gallery below to get acquainted. Our first impression upon cracking open the box was along the lines of "wow, this thing is small... and light!" Maybe that zoomed in press shot we've been drooling over had our proportions all jacked up, but needless to say you won't have a tough time fitting this one in your right front pocket. Check out the images below for an unboxing and UI walkthrough that'll surely bring copious amounts of joy into your life.Update: Full specifications list now posted after the break for easy reference.%Gallery-39662%%Gallery-39663%
Cowon's 16GB S9 PMP ships early to America
We know, it's not December 19th just yet, but Santa's being super proactive this year. As of right now, Cowon's 16GB S9 PMP is on sale and shipping to US consumers from JetMall. You already know what the $239.99 will buy you -- the question is, are you able to hold off?
Cowon ships S9 PMP to US soil
Remember those off-the-wall delay rumors? Yeah, Cowon just put 'em to bed. All of 'em. As of today, the luscious S9 PMP is off to America, bringing with it a 3.3-inch AMOLED display (480 x 272), 500MHz processor, capacitive touchscreen operation, Bluetooth 2.0 (for stereo headphones), a battery good for 11 hours of video (55 hours for audio), BBE+ sound enhancements, inbuilt microphone, line-in recording and enough codec support to make a grown man weep for joy. The device should be available on December 19th at a variety of e-tailers, and given the $199.99 (8GB) / $239.99 (16GB) price tags, we'd say a certain touch-friendly rival has a lot to worry about. Full release is after the break.
Cowon's S9 gets toyed with on video, UI thoroughly investigated
It's one thing to have a look at a new user interface in pictures, but watching someone navigate it on video is just so much more meaningful and soul stirring. Cowon's S9 isn't due out in South Korea for another five days or so, but it looks like someone with a video camera and a YouTube account completely missed the memo. For a likely limited time, the video just past the break shows off five minutes of admittedly responsive UI interaction, complete with the ability to alter the equalizer preset from the Now Playing screen (what a concept!). Be warned, though -- the first album to pop up is Mamma Mia!. Terrifying, we know.[Via CNET]
Cowon's S9 PMP delayed for US? (Updated: official date, price, pics)
We've received no official word either way on this, but all the signs are currently pointing to a delay for the US launch of Cowon's S9. The undoubtedly sexy PMP is still set to launch in South Korea this month, but unspecified "production problems" are reportedly responsible for pushing the Stateside shipment back. So, when can we Americans expect to have a US version in our palms? We figuring (and hoping) it'll hit sometime around January at the latest -- any longer than that and we might have to cash in these frequent flier miles for a round-trip jaunt to Seoul.Update: Cowon just issued a press release with date, pricing, and more pictures of the UI and hardware. Starting December 16th, the S9 will be available in Korea in 4GB / 8GB / 16GB capacities for 219,000 won ($150), 259,000 won ($178), and 309,000 won ($212), respectively. Still no word on rest of world releases.%Gallery-38786%[Via Anything but iPod, thanks Waroxy F.]
